Dear Reader,
This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children. Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills. You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story. Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.
*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
Enemy Pie By: Derek Munson Illustrated by: Tara Calahan King
Ages: Kindergarten through Second Grade
The new boy, Jeremy, who has not been very friendly, has moved into the neighborhood and has ruined summer. He is now on the enemy list, but Dad knows how to take care of enemies. He will make Enemy Pie. What could possibly be in Enemy Pie and how does it work? This delightful story is about the difficulty and rewards of making new friends. This is a great story to foster discussion about friendship and to just enjoy.
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading the story, ask the child what they think the story, Enemy Pie, might be about.
- After reading, ask the child the following questions:
- Why was Jeremy put on the enemy list?
- What activity did the little boy have to do with Jeremy before sharing the Enemy Pie?
- Was the father’s plan successful and why?
- Ask the child what they could do to make friends with someone new to the neighborhood or class at school.
Additional Books:
- Best Friends By: Steven Kellogg
- The Rat and the Tiger By: Keiko Kasza
- The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Friends By: Stan and Jan Berenstain
- How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? By: Jane Yolen Illustrated by: Mark Teague
- You’re Not My Best Friend Anymore By: Charlotte Pomerantz Illustrated by: David Soman
Cooking Time:
Fruity Enemy Pie
To go along with the theme of our book, we had to make Enemy Pie. This delicious fruity pie contains peaches, blueberries and cherries and looks just like the pie in the book. We made our own pie crust, but purchased crust would also work. Children can help by adding the ingredients, stirring and kitchen cleanup. Older children could also help rolling the pie crust and fluting the edges.
Easy Pie Crust
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
You will need a 9 inch deep dish pie pan.
3 cups flour
1 cup shortening (Crisco)
3/4 cup water
Additional flour for rolling out the crust
- Put the flour and shortening in a large bowl.
- With hands, mix together until crumbly.
- Gradually add the water, mixing until a soft ball forms.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Sprinkle flour on counter or board and flour rolling pin.
- Roll one section of the dough to fit the 9 inch deep dish pie pan. Leave enough on the edges to roll and flute.
- Set the other section of pie crust to the side.
- Prepare pie filling.
Fruity Pie Filling:
2 cups fresh or frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1 can (15 ounces) pitted dark sweet cherries, drained
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup quick cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon of sugar to sprinkle on top
- Put all of the fruit in a large bowl.
- Add the almond extract and vanilla. Gently stir.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, flour, tapioca, salt and nutmeg.
- Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the fruit mixture.
- Gently stir, coating all of the fruit with the dry mixture.
- Let the fruit sit for 15 minutes.
- Stir and then spoon the filling into the prepared pie crust.
- Dot the top of the pie with the butter.
- Roll out the remaining pie dough.
- Cut into strips.
- Crisscross the strips on the top of the pie to form a lattice design.
- Roll the pie crust on the edges under and then crimp to make a fluted design.
- Sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and carefully put strips of aluminum foil around the fluted edges so they do not over brown.
- Return to oven for another 15 to 20 minutes or until top of pie is golden brown.
- Remove and place on a wire rack to completely cool.
- Would be great with vanilla ice cream.
Serves 6 to 8.
Enemy Whoopie Pies
These sweet chocolate and marshmallow treats are great for any occasion and perfect to share with a friend. They are also very easy to make. Children can help by adding the ingredients, adding the filling to make each pie and kitchen clean-up.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cookie Pies
One 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix (We used dark chocolate.)
1/3 cup oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, oil and eggs until completely combined.
- Using a 1 or 1 1/2 inch melon scoop, form balls of dough and place two inches apart on the baking sheets. (May need to spray scoop with non-stick spray.)
- Using fingers, press each ball of dough to slightly flatten.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the trays and place them back on the wire racks to continue cooling.
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
One 7.5 ounce jar of marshmallow creme (We used Kraft.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate sprinkles
- Using a mixer, beat the softened butter and marshmallow cream on medium to medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time and continue on medium speed.
- Keep adding powdered sugar until the mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape.
- Using a 1 or 1 1/2 inch melon scoop, scoop the filling onto a cookie.
- Place another cookie on top to make sandwich.
- Press until the filling can be seen around the edge.
- Put the chocolate sprinkles into a shallow bowl.
- Roll the cookie edge in the chocolate sprinkles.
- Continue until all Whoopie Pies are made.
Makes 10 to 14 Whoopie Pies depending on the size of the scoop.
